It's such a great, simple idea: Young Brazilians want to learn English. Elderly Americans living in retirement homes just want someone to talk to. Why not connect them?
FCB Brazil did just that with its "Speaking Exchange" project for CNA language schools. As seen in the touching case study below, the young Brazilians and older Americans connect via Web chats, and they not only begin to share a language—they develop relationships that enrich both sides culturally and emotionally.
The differences in age and background combine to make the interactions remarkable to watch. And the participants clearly grow close to one another, to the point where they end up speaking from the heart in a more universal language than English.
The pilot project was implemented at a CNA school in Liberdade, Brazil, and the Windsor Park Retirement Community in Chicago. The conversations are recorded and uploaded as private YouTube videos for the teachers to evaluate the students' development.
"The idea is simple and it's a win-win proposition for both the students and the American senior citizens. It's exciting to see their reactions and contentment. It truly benefits both sides," says Joanna Monteiro, executive creative director at FCB Brazil.
Says Max Geraldo, FCB Brazil's executive director: "The beauty of this project is in CNA's belief that we develop better students when we develop better people."
CREDITS
Client: CNA
Project: "Speaking Exchange"
Agency: FCB Brazil
Executive Creative Directors: Joanna Monteiro, Max Geraldo
Digital Creative Director: Pedro Gravena
Creative: Vinícius Fernandes, Bruno Mazzotti, Daniel Alves, Mauricio Bina
Creative Technologist: Márcio Bueno
Digital Production: Brave.ag
Project: Lia D'Amico
Technology: Gerson Lupatini, Caio Mello
Account: Mauro Silveira, Alec Cocchiaro, Pedro Führer, Thiago Figueiredo
Planners: Raphael Barreto, Lia Bertoni, Pedro Schneider
Media: Alexandre Ugadin, Tiago Santos, Fábio Tachibana, Sandra Carvalho, Fábio Menezes
RTV: Vivi Guedes, Ana Flávia de Lucca, André Fonseca
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Ricardo Mehedff
Co-direction: Fábio Pinheiro
Photographers: Fernando Young (Brazil), Grant Weiss (Chicago)
Production Company: Hungry Man
Account Production: Mariana Marinho
Editor: Rodrigo Resende
Managing Partner: Alex Mehedff
Executive Production: Alex Mehedff, Rodrigo Castelo
Postproduction: Hungry Man; Psycho
Postproduction Supervisor: Rodrigo Oliveira
Sound Producer: Timbre
Client Supervisors: Luciana Fortuna, Nicadan Galvão, Diego Marmo, Ricardo Martins